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Every year since 1967, Americans have huddled around the television on Super Bowl Sunday in hopes of watching a great football game. For those who aren’t sports fans, there’s still reason to tune in: the clever commercials that offer advertisers a chance to make us laugh, cry and, yes, buy stuff. That opportunity doesn’t come cheap, either — the average price of a 30-second ad in 2026 is $8 million, according to AdMeter.
This year you can expect the usual lineup of commercials from companies selling cars, beer and chips, featuring grownup celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Bradley Cooper, Kurt Russell, Octavia Spencer, Sofia Vergara, Ben Stiller, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key and Spike Lee.
In anticipation of the big game on Feb. 8, here are five commercials from Super Bowls past that were especially successful in warming viewers’ hearts — and still do today. Plus, watch one of our favorite Super Bowl commercials from last year’s game.
NFL star “Mean” Joe Greene turned out not to be so mean in this Coke commercial. Although it first aired in October 1979, it wasn’t until its Super Bowl debut in 1980 that it gained widespread attention. Prepare for goose bumps.
Character actress Clara Peller, then 81 years old, uttered the iconic catchphrase that still makes us smile nearly four decades later. That Peller’s complaint to her two friends was about something as mundane as the disappointing size of a hamburger patty doesn’t diminish the lasting cultural significance of the three words she uttered: “Where’s the beef?”
Everyone loves a tale about overcoming obstacles and finding success. That’s what McDonald’s portrayed in 1991 in “Mike’s Story,” a touching reminder that everyone has the ability to achieve the best version of themselves. Grab the Kleenex.
Another commercial from 1991, this one took your average running sequence and combined it with inspiration, athleticism and heart. Through perseverance and a slick pair of shoes — Nike was selling a product, after all — there really is no finish line, the company wants you to believe.
Budweiser has landed on a winning formula for tugging at viewers’ heartstrings: mix adorable dogs with majestic horses. Success struck eight years ago with “Puppy Love,” a vignette that brought together an irresistible yellow Labrador puppy and an impressively maned steed — not to mention their human owners. Our tears are still drying.
Nostalgia meets convenience as a stampede of classic ad mascots — Old Spice Guy, the Kool‑Aid Man, the Green Giant, the Pillsbury Doughboy, Chester Cheetah and Mr. Clean — rush an Instacart order so no one has to leave the house. We may now shop by app, but the same familiar faces still carry the labels — turning a new habit into a comfortingly old‑school commercial moment.
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